Green | January 02, 2009 | 16 comments

Tennessee's toxic nightmare: arsenic levels 35 to 300 times EPA standard for drinking water

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-cooper/tennessees-toxic-nightmar_b_154839.html

Image
JackHerer
Just-released independent water sampling data from the Tennessee coal ash disaster has shown alarmingly high levels of arsenic and seven other heavy metals, including cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and thallium.

"I've never seen levels this high," said Dr. Shea Tuberty, Assistant Professor of Biology at the Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Lab at Appalachian State University. "These levels would knock out fish reproduction ... the ecosystems around Kingston and Harriman are going to be in trouble ... maybe for generations."

"Although these results are preliminary, we want to release them because of the public health concern and because we believe the TVA [Tennessee Valley Authority] and EPA aren't being candid," said Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., chair of the Waterkeeper Alliance.

Arsenic levels were especially worrisome. "From the water samples you gave us, we had anywhere from 35 to 300 times that [EPA] level" of 10 parts per billion for drinking water, said Tuberty to Upper Watauga Riverkeeper Donna Lisenby, who floated a kayak around the "ashbergs" on Decmber 27, five days after the disaster.
  1. groups:
    News and Politics,   Green,   Earth and Science,   Current News US
  2. tags:
    News and Politics,  Green,  Earth and Science,  Current News US,  4 more
  3.     
    |

16 comments // Tennessee's toxic nightmare: arsenic levels 35 to 300 times EPA standard for drinking water

  • fussa
    • 0
      fussa  

    • The only people who are really going to care are the ones who have close family dying. Most people just sit back like me and think thank god i never moved there.

    • 3 years ago
  • uppityprogressive
  • uptop
    • 0
      uptop  

    • Tennessee should consider itself lucky; coal is a great source of fiber.... google it. Its up there with beans and stuff.

    • 3 years ago
  • justwannafindmytrue
  • uponrooftops
  • kennymotown
    • 0
      kennymotown  

    • I also heard the ash from the coal refinement contains radio activity. That can't be good, oh ya I'll bet big coal owns a big hammer for squelching media types.

    • 3 years ago
  • ras_menelik
    • 0
      ras_menelik  
    • Image
    • kennymotown:

      uranium-->"depleted" uranium--->lead

      from 238U to 206Pb, with a half-life of 4.47 billion years and 235U to 207Pb, with a half-life of 704 million years.

      lead is the only non radio active form of uranium, but lead is just as deadly if ingested or gets in your lungs

      Hemp removes HEAVY metals from the air and soil

    • 3 years ago
  • huntre
  • 3stylelife
    • 0
      3stylelife  

    • I wonder how much of this had to do with the coal slurry pit recently collapsing. My fear is that these levels have actually been present for a very long time.

    • 3 years ago
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  

    • Thankfully we have independent testing to get to the truth. It is obvious the TVA won't give us the truth to cover their own asses and those of the coal executives who care more for their precious bank accounts than the environment and the health of the people. Bastards.

    • 3 years ago
  • bluestranger
    • 0
      bluestranger  

    • This is a slimy cover-up. The way to get the attention of the mainstream media is not contacting them. The ones who need to be contacted are their advertisers. Get in touch with one of the corporate sponsors and let them know that you can't buy products from a company that uses these outlets to sell their goods and services. In these times of economic strife, it shouldn't take too many calls or e-mails to get someone's attention. Maybe we can start with the banks and car companies. They seem to be in the mood to listen for the sound of slamming wallets.

    • 3 years ago
  • victimofcoal
    • 0
      victimofcoal  

    • You didn't seriously believe the latest round of taxbreaks for "King Coal" would be used for educational purposes did you? That money was needed to silence the corporate media and purchase the congressmen in these districts. You can find the pro-coal messages being delivered on the house and senate floor by the representatives of these districts on c-span and you tube. But not a peep from NBC,CBS, FOX, and ABC.

    • 3 years ago
  • Tajagreenbird
  • ras_menelik
  • JackHerer
    • 0
      JackHerer  

    • We need to use hemp phytoremediation to clean this up. Look it up on Google. And the people who are being exposed to this should be taking Rick Simpson oil to prevent cancer and other serious illnesses. Watch "Run from the Cure" at www.phoenixtearsmovie.com.

    • 3 years ago
  • ras_menelik
more from Green:
from the community

top videos